The Lion King III: The Next Generation
by Amritha
Summary: PG13 for some violence in later chapters. Simba and Nala have passed on the throne, and Kovu and Kiara now reign as King and Queen of the Pridelands. But this is not about them but rather their children and their adventures... [Chap. 6 up]
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _The Lion King. _Nope. Disney does. However, I do own some of the characters that will feature in this story, including: Tumba, Kri, Mandu, Situ, and others that you won't recognize from any of the films.

**Full Summary: **Simba and Nala have passed on the throne, and Kovu and Kiara now reign as King and Queen of the Pridelands. But this is not about them. This is about their children and their adventures. Read about Tumba (Toomb-ah) and Kri (Kree) as they journey into adulthood. I know, this sounds corney, but I promise it'll be good! My first fic; please R&R! Flames will be used for a barbecue.

Just so you know: Timon, Pumbaa, and Zazu, as well as most characters in this fic that are from the first TLK movie, and from the sequel, have passed away... so, there may be mentioning of them, but you won't be seeing them here... and if you dislike stories where a main character dies, or a character from the movie dies, then you probably shouldn't read this.  
For a picture of the cubs, Tumba and Kri, visit my gallery...

"Speech is in quotation marks."  
_'This is a thought.'_

Ok, I've wasted enough time here. On to the story!

* * *

A sliver of pale light sliced through the air as the sun's first glorious rays shone upon the Pridelands. The sky itself was lit up with crimson and the clouds reflected a similar glow. Pride Rock, in all its beauty, shone pale orange with the first light. 

Then started a sound, a soft, slow and steady sound. And thus did they approach, animals from all over Africa, from all over the Pridelands, just coming to see something thought more wonderful than even the beauty of the rising sun: the birth of a child.

Standing on the peak of the great Rock were two lions. They were well-known throughout the Pridelands. Kovu, son of Zira, and Kiara, daughter of Simba. They were now proclaimed King and Queen, and their first children, who had been born days ago, were now being shown to the world for the first time. Kovu stood quietly by Kiara's side as he looked down upon her face where she was laying. Gathered at her side, suckling greedily, were a pair of cubs, twins. One was slightly smaller than the other, and their colors were both different, but they were clearly twins.

Both mother and father looked adoringly upon their new children, before a voice disturbed them from their dreamy looks.

"Kiara, Kovu..." it was Nala, now an old lioness. She and Simba had since stepped down from the throne, old age having gotten the best of them.

"Hey Mom, Dad..." Kiara greeted her mother softly, and her father, as he came slowly into view with a slight limp. Both of the former monarchs' muzzles were grizzled with white hairs, a sure sign of their age.

"Kiara..." Simba's voice was soft, his eyes kind as he looked on his daughter. Then rusty eyes lifted to look upon his son-in-law, "Kovu." and then he gave them both a smile and a nod as greeting as well, before he and Nala slowly approached the two. A pair of young lionesses aided them at either side, helping them as they walked forward.

It was all purring and nuzzling before Kovu said anything. "Nala, Simba. It is so good to have you here..." he said, his green eyes unable to hide the extreme pride he felt right now. No one could blame the new king and queen, they were parents now! With that, Simba settled beside Kovu, and Kovu beside Kiara, and Nala upon her other side.

"What have you named them, Kiara?" inquired Nala. Nala's voice had begun to crack with age some time ago, but still was very calming and peaceful. Kiara's eyes lit up, and all heads turned to look at Nala before the new mother started to answer.

"Kri, the firstborn," Kiara gently nuzzled the female, who heavily resembled her grandmother, aside from the reddish brown tuft on her head and tail, and those dark masks above her eyes.

Nala smiled. "A good name, Kiara, a good name."

Kiara grinned and looked at her daughter proudly.

"And that one," said Kovu as he reached over to nuzzle the male cub. "is our little runt. Tumbo, secondborn." he smiled fondly. Tumbo was darker than his sister. He had fur that was a dirty-looking gold color, and had a creamy tail tuft, and tuft on his head. He resembled both his father and grandfather in many ways, though his face was like Kiara's, just as his sister's was.

The four lions and lionesses looked down upon the two cubs fondly, love shining in their eyes.

Then, there was a soft rattle behind them, the clinking of gords as someone more came into view. The familiar face of the old shaman, Rafiki, the mandrill. None but Kovu rose and slowly moved in to greet the old monkey with a gentle hug.

"Two cubs, a blessing within the pride..." the mandrill said with a large smile as he pulled back to look Kovu in the eye.

Meanwhile, below, the herds gathered. Elephants, zebras, gazelle, impalas, antelope... even the tall giraffe and the fun-loving monkeys. Birds of all sorts, hornbills, cranes, storks... all here to celebrate the birth of the twins, Kri and Tumbo. Rafiki slowly made his way to Kiara's side, and with one hand, gently stroked each cub's back until they stirred. Kri turned first, and quickest, her eyes opening slowly, they were the same green as Nala's. The female revealed a toothless, yet no less sweet smile while her brother turned a little more timidly and looked up at the mandrill with curious rust-colored eyes.

Then, Rafiki reached to his walking stick and carefully removed one of the gords there, and broke it open... mixing the dust of the ground and some strange powder from within the gord, he blessed each child, then lifted up Kri. Firstborn... Heir to the Throne. The cub, like her mother before her had, reached out a paw and squealed excitedly as she was suddenly so much higher into the air than she was used to.

Excitement gave way to curiousity as the cub was carried to the Rock's peak, and suddenly, she was thrust into the air. The animals below bowed. This was their princess. Kri looked down upon the animals with wondering eyes, while Rafiki looked into the sky. The sun had risen fully above the horizon, and filled the land with golden light. Suddenly, the animals below lifted their heads and rejoiced. The elephants trumpeted, the zebras cried out, the antelope leapt. Joy filled the kingdom that day, the day the twins were introduced to the lands...

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And so does the prologue end. :) So... what do you think? I really hope you like this...

Again, any characters that are not familiar to you, are probably mine... and since I don't like writing disclaimers, just know the same goes for all chapters in this whole story. n.n Anyway, TTFN, Ta Ta For Now!


	2. Chap 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _The Lion King. _Nope. Disney does. However, I do own some of the characters that will feature in this story, including: Tumba, Kri, Mandu, Situ, and others that you won't recognize from any of the films.

_Two Months Later_

* * *

The sun had yet to rise over the savannah, and all animals slept peacefully. Well, any animal in their right mind, that is. For, running at high speed towards Pride Rock's peak was a tiny cub. Her green eyes shimmered as she looked around. Suddenly, she whipped around and called into the shadows of the pridal cavern. "C'mon, Tumba! Hurry up! You're not _chicken_, are you?" the girl called, her voice barely above a whisper and with a silly little smirk on her maw.

Soon came the reply. "No!" Tumba quickly scurried from the shadows towards the larger female cub. "Kri, we're gonna get in trouble if mom and dad wake up!"

Kri just snickered, her green eyes shimmering. "Yeah, I know." she said, as if that were all the reason for her doing this.

"But Kri," complained Tumba, "We could get hurt, or stepped on or--"

"Even get lost. I know, Tumba." finished the female cub for the male with a quick "huff". Her ears flattened back as an annoyed expression fell upon her face. "Are you going to come or not?" she finally ask as she brushed her hair from her eyes and started to walk around Tumba with intention of leaving the Rock. Tumba just sat there on his haunches, his ears flattened back as she padded off.

Then, finally, Tumba spoke up. "Ok, ok! I'm coming! But if dad finds us, it's not my fault!"

Kri just rolled her eyes before she grinned and looked at him, her ears perking up as her tail swished happily. "All right." she giggled. "Now, c'mon before they wake up!" With that, Kri trotted off, leaping down rock after rock, with Tumba in hot persuit. He was slightly smaller than Kri, which made it a little difficult for him.

As the reached a large, flat rock, Kri stopped unexpectedly, and Tumba went hurtling into her. The girl cub cried out in suprise, and flopped forward, narrowly missing the ledge. The rock they were on dropped off quite suddenly. For a grown lion, it would be a large step. For a cub, a painful fall. Kri growled slowly as she recovered from the fall, and steadily rose to her paws again before she turned quickly to glare at her brother. Tumba backed away a few paces and grinned innocently, his rust eyes meeting her green ones. "S-sorry, Kri."

With his apology, Kri relaxed, though the angry flare didn't leave her eyes right away. "Fine. Just don't do it again, 'k?"

The boy cub smiled faintly. "Ok."

With that, Kri smiled and went right away to finding a way down. "I think we're stuck." Kri finally said when she realized that the only way they could go safely was up again.

"Good..." Tumba muttered under his breath with a smile. _'Now she can't get us hurt or stepped on or get us lost!_'

"What'd you say?" Kri inquired, turning to face Tumba.

"Huh? I didn't say anything." Tumba said quickly, and for now, fooling his sister.

Kri sighed. "I guess we just gotta go back up there. _Geez_, this place is _boring_..." the cub murmured. Tumba nodded as he turned and tried to climb up the next nearest rock, and with some difficulty, succeeded.

"I guess it is." Tumba frowned. "I wish granma would come home so she could tell us stories again." he sighed softly.

"Yeah, I wonder why she and granpa went away." Kri said as she followed after Tumba, and was soon padding along in front of him and moving faster as they climbed.

"Maybe mom'll tell us?" Tumba suggested.

Kri just shrugged before leaping back up, and finding herself before the pridal cavern. "But she _never_ tells us anything, Tu'!" she answered, frowning as she flopped down on her belly, her forepaws crossing as she laid her chin on them. Tumba just sighed.

"What are you two talking about?" came an all too familiar voice to the cubs.

"Hi Mandu." the two cubs greeted in unison the new majordomo - a hornbill, like Zazu had been before him. "We aren't talking about _anything_," answered Kri with a roll of her eyes.

"Nothing to talk _about_..." added Tumba as he plopped down beside his sister. The hornbill just looked at them each knowingly before shaking his head and walking forward awkwardly.

"I see." replied the bird after a while. At the same moment, two more figures emerged from the cavern. The bird was opening his beak to rant on about one thing or another before both cubs shot past him and dashed for their parents.

"Mom! Dad!" both twins cried out as they were met with loving nuzzles and licks. Mandu's eyes went wide with suprise as he realized they weren't exactly alone anymore, and he whipped around.

Bowing quickly, respectfully, the hornbill took to the air, and smiled faintly. "Your Highnesses," he said, "I wasn't expecting you so early... good morning!" Kiara looked quietly up at the bird and just chuckled, slowly shaking her head. Kovu lifted a brow and smiled.

"Good morning, Mandu." Kiara said as she approached the bird. Kovu just nodded. Even now, he was still getting used to being in the Pridelands, though he was much better now than he ever was before.

"Morning." the king greeted plainly before turning to his children, while Kiara chatted with the bird idly.

"So, what are you two doing?" Kovu asked the cubs.

"Oh, nothing." Kri answered for them both, trying to act innocent. Tumba nodded as he rubbed gently against his father's left foreleg, before laying down and curling around it carefully to eye his sister. The female cub just rubbed against her father's opposite foreleg and looked up at his green eyes. "Really, dad!" she said quickly, while he eyed her with a suspicious look in his eyes and a small smile.

"You had better stay out of trouble, Kri." said Kovu softly. Kri just sighed. _'He always says that...' _she thought. Tumba smiled faintly. "You too, Tumba."

"Ok dad, I will."

The two cubs and the lion all turned their heads to look up as Mandu abruptly flapped off, and Kiara just smiled, turning to them as she said goodbye to the hornbill. "What's he doing?" asked Kovu.

"I just sent him off to make sure things are ok this morning." the queen smiled, stretching quickly before looking at her kids. "Kri, Tumba," Kiara addressed the prince and princess suddenly. "Remember, if you're good today, we'll go out onto the savannah tonight!" the cubs' eyes lit up immediately.

Both had forgotten, and were more than just a little excited. "Ok mom, we'll be good!" said Tumba.

"Promise!" added Kri. The lioness chuckled as she settled down beside her children, and gently hugged each one as they came up to her, then she looked up at Kovu lovingly as the children rested between her paws. _'Our dream has come true, Kovu... we have our own family... our own pride...' _Kiara thought to herself. Somehow, her thoughts must've been given away, for Kovu's expression seemed identical to her own, and there was a smile on his maw.

* * *

_Later that Night..._

The night sky was clear and the stars twinkled merrily. It was perfect. Kovu sat across from Kiara, with Kri nestled atop his head in his thick mane, and Tumba was draped over Kiara's forepaws. All of them looked at the sky in wonder, while Kiara told them about the stars. "You see, the Great Kings of the Past look down upon us from those stars, and so are always with us." Tumba looked at the stars in wonder, a smile plastered on his face. _'They watch from up _there_? I wish I could see the world from there...' _he thought.

Kri grinned. "Like granpa? Will _he _go up there?" Kovu smiled and nodded carefully, so as not to knock Kri off.

"Yeah, he will." answered Kiara, as she closed her eyes and sighed softly. "I miss you, daddy..." the lioness whispered as she looked at one star in particular, one that seemed brighter than the rest. She smiled.

"Hey mom, where _did _granma and granpa go? Will they _ever _come back?" Kri asked suddenly.

Kiara smiled faintly. "Well... grandma and grandpa, they went to be with the great kings." the cub tilted her head at the answer. However, Tumba nodded his - he understood. "I miss them, mom." the boy cub said softly as he leaned back into his mother's warm fur and curled up. Kri then realized what was meant. "Oh... I get it." She frowned. "I miss them too, mom."

Suddenly, Kri's mouth opened wide into a yawn, and a small squeak escaped. "It's time to go," said Kovu as he heard his daughter.

"It's past both of your bedtimes!" added Kiara, who held the now-dozing Tumba close.

"But dad... I'm not sleepy." Kri lied. She could barely keep her eyes open. So, tilting his head back so Kri slid down. Kovu picked his daughter up gently in his mouth, just as Kiara did with Tumba, and soon the small family was on its way to Pride Rock where they could sleep...


	3. Chap 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _The Lion King. _Nope. Disney does. However, I do own some of the characters that will feature in this story, including: Tumba, Kri, Mandu, Situ, and others that you won't recognize from any of the films.

**Reviews: **

PretendFan: Thank you for your review. It makes me feel better about writing this story. Also thank you for your advice. I've tried to fix it and have gone over both previous chapters to make sure I've fixed most of my mistakes (And I probably will a second time.)

...this is a long(er) chapter. o.o;

* * *

Kri took in a deep breath of the morning air. The princess was laying on her back between her father's paws, while Tumba slept curled in his mother's. It seemed she was the only one awake in the pridal cavern. _'Everything's so... dull around here.' _She sighed. She just wished she could have a little more adventure. She felt her father shift, and lifting her head hopefully, she drew in a breath to say "Good morning!" only to find that he wasn't actually awake, only shifting in his sleep. 

"I wonder where Situ is." Kri wondered softly, as she stared idly at the ceiling while everyone else slept. But, soon enough, the cub couldn't stand it anymore and she carefully inched out of her father's paws and onto the floor. Almost instantly, a mischevious grin formed as her aqua eyes sought out the familiar color of her friend's fur, a light creamy white. Kri always though Situ's fur was cool, and for that she liked him. She also liked him, however, because of their similarities. Then, finally, she saw it.

Trying to be as quiet as a cub her age could, she leapt over her mother's paws and started toward her friend. He was draped over his siblings' backs, and they, in turn, were piled on their mother. Situ, his siblings, and his mother, were accepted into the pride a few days after Situ's birth, and a few weeks before the twins', making him a little older than her. Managing to make it over towards her friend while stepping over and on only a few lionesses, she eventually had her face pressed up to his. In order to do this, she had to leap up the pile of cubs, first.

Her nose pressed to his, a large grin started to form, and the princess' eyes twinkled. "Situ," she said in a sing-song voice, "wake up..." she giggled as he shifted in his sleep and muttered something unintelligable.

"Situ, _up_!" she said again, closer to his ear, and a little louder. Or... a lot louder. Enough that her voice rang in the cavern. Fortunately for her, no one stirred. Except for Situ. Oh, Situ was quite startled, and went hurtling forward into his friend in suprise!

Kri was now on her back, smothering a fit of laughter behind her paws, while Situ tried to figure out what the _heck _had just happened.

"Who? ...wha?!" he finally looked between his paws at the slightly smaller Kri, and smiled a forced, irritated sort of smile. "_Kri_!" said Situ through clenched teeth while his grey eyes focused on the princess. "What's the big idea?!"

"Shh! You'll wake everyone up!" Kri giggled softly as she looked at the boy cub.

He just stared at her.

"I thought we could go out into the savannah before the lionesses get up?" Kri murmured as Situ backed up to sit on his haunches, and she rose to her paws.

"Oh. You mean have an adventure in the early morning?"

"Yeah!" the princess practically bounced with joy at the mere idea of a daring adventure.

Situ suddenly smiled. _'This is what the princess wakes me up for? Cool.' _"All right!" with that, Situ was on his paws and trotting around the bodies of sleeping lionesses and cubs. Kri followed close by his side, but a little less carefully. She stepped on several lionesses, though most of them were still sleeping deeply enough to not notice.

Both of the cubs stopped at the cavern's exit before that started to head off to one side, and down the Rock. "So, where should we go?" Kri inquired as they reached the bottom.

"Uh. I dunno. I though _you _had this figured out, _princess_." answered Situ with a roll of his grey eyes.

Kri just growled softly. "My name is _Kri_! You know I don't like you calling me princess!"

Situ just laughed. He knew. He was just doing it to get on her nerves a little. "Ok, sorry _Kri_," he stressed her name, particularly, "Why don't we go... to the waterhole?!"

Kri tilted her head as he suggested this, and soon smiled. "Last one there's a stinky ol' hyena!" with that, Kri darted off, leaving Situ with a somewhat startled expression on his face.

"H-hey! That's not fair!" the boy cried out before he started to dash after her. Kri, by this time, was quite some distance ahead, making it harder for Situ to catch up. But eventually, he did. His legs were longer than her's. By the time they reached the 'hole, they were both panting heavily, but sported large smiles and sparkling eyes. "Wow," said Situ between breaths, "that was a long run..."

The princess giggled. "Yeah!" she too, spoke shortly between breaths. "...but fun, wasn't it?" she grinned. "You're a stinky ol' hyena! ...Boy, is it empty here in the mornings or what?" Kri said flatly.

Situ chuckled. "Kinda looks like it."

No sooner had either child stated such things did the grass around the 'hole rustle. Kri's head bolted up from the place where she was inspecting some elephant footprints. "What was that?!" she asked quickly, a hint of fear, yet much curiousity in her voice. _'Something's out there...' _she thought as she started to pad towards the rustle.

The air around them started to get tense. "What was _what_?" asked Situ. You could meet all sorts of things at the waterhole.

"You didn't hear it? Didn't see the grass move?" Kri looked over her shoulder at Situ, who was standing at the water's edge by now. The morning sun was covered by a thick cloud as Kri looked back at the grass. She shuddered. "Hello-o?" No reply.

"Kri, there's nothin--"

A small, gazelle-type animal suddenly burst past the two of them, running quickly, prancing. It moved past the waterhole and into the grass, where it disappeared over a small hill. The startled cubs had literally leapt into each other's arms... Kri clung tightly to the older cub, who tried to scrape her off.

"Kri..."

"Yeah?"

"Get _off_!"

"O-Oh! Sorry!" the girl quickly released her friend, who had been pulling away from her at the time. He flew backwards, while Kri's ears turned bright pink with embarrassment. "I-I wasn't scared." she said, lying, as she tilted her chin up slightly.

"Yeah right! The look on your face!" Kri came back as he got up off the ground. After a moment, the two cubs just giggled.

However, there was a rustle again. "Huh?" Kri's head turned.

"Probably just another one of those things, Kri. Don't worry!" Situ said with a grin.

"Hey! I'm not scared!" she quickly said. "I just..."

Situ rolled his eyes and got up. "Why don't we go back? Everyone will be getting up soon, and you don't wanna have to stay in the cave _again_, do you?"

Kri sighed. "I guess we should then."

The children turned to head back towards Pride Rock, a little slower than they had before, and this time, a little more quietly. The air still seemed all cramped, and it made the two of them feel like something bad was going to happen, though neither said a word of it to the other.

The waterhole was soon out of sight, but neither Kri nor Situ could shake the feeling that they were being followed... and all too soon it was proved true.

It was like a large, dusty gold blur that was suddenly before them. It had glinting white fangs, cold amber eyes, and it was spotted.

Kri shrieked first. Then Situ. "Leopard!"

"What?" Kri asked quickly as she backed away, cowering behind Situ, who was doing only slightly better than her, in the fact that he somehow managed to stand up straight, while she crouched with her ears tucked nervously.

The leopard seemed to smile, but coldly. Her fangs still shimmered, and it made her look even more frightening to the children. "Well, well, well, what's this?" said the leopard in a cold voice that was full of malice. "Free food?" she pressed her face closer to the cubs.

Situ snapped his fangs. "H-hey! Get your ugly spotted mug away from us!"

"Hmmm. Spicey. You'll taste good, I think." the leopard snarled.

"Situ! Run!" Kri squeaked.

"Oh! And look... she'll be dessert! Princess on a Platter!" the leopard laughed softly.

"My dad... my dad!" Kri tried to get out some comment.

"Your dad? Your dad-- _what_?! What's he gonna do? Save you?" the leopard just smirked. "Not on my watch. Not with a meal so easy!" with that, the leopard started to approach the two.

Situ quickly backed up, tripping over Kri, who yelped in pain before leaping back as well. However, Kri noticed something the leopard didn't. "My dad! He's right behind you!"

The leopard stopped and lifted a brow, but didn't really seem to believe the girl cub. That was until she heard the roar behind her. Whipping around, the leopard's amber eyes grew wide as they met Kovu's green ones. And Kovu was angry. Very angry.

Again, he roared. The leopard's ears flattened with the noise, and she flinched.

"Get away from the children!" Kovu roared again.

"And... what if I don't?" this leopard was either extremely brave, or extremely stupid.

Kovu snarled. In an instant, he was upon the leopard and had her pinned down. Another moment, and he swiped his forepaw over her face, leaving behind four red streaks that slowly started oozing blood.

The leopard screamed in pain, then snarled at Kovu. "My eye! You! You b--"

"Silence!"

Soon, the leopard gasped as Kovu pressed on her throat with a forepaw. She looked up at the lion king, terrified.

The children watched in awe and fear, wondering what would happen. For now, neither of the cubs thought about the fact that they would be in big trouble when Kovu's mind was away from the leopard.

"Get out of my Pridelands." Kovu growled. The leopardess gave a quick nod of her head, then, as soon as Kovu released her, bolted off in the opposite direction of both lions and Pride Rock.

Kovu growled, then turned to the children. _'How did he know to find us?' _Situ wondered. Out of nowhere it seemed, Mandu came into view and landed neatly upon Kovu's shoulder. The bird's amber eyes landed on both Kri and Situ. That answered Situ's question...

"Kri." Kovu addressed his daughter first. Kri flinched, very much afraid of her father's wrath. "Situ." Situ did the same as Kri, flinching at the king's tone. "Come with me, now." with that, the King of the Pridelands turned and started towards Pride Rock, both of the children following quickly. Their heads drooped in shame; they had known better than to come out here alone...

* * *

Half way to the Rock, Kovu slowed, letting the children walk ahead a few paces before they slowed and stopped. The sun was no longer covered by the clouds and shone down brightly upon the three lions and hornbill. Kovu looked up at Mandu as he hovered above them, and motioned to Situ with his gaze. 

Understanding what was wanted, the hornbill nodded and lowered himself so he hovered just above and in front of the boy. "Come, Situ."

Situ just nodded slightly before drooping his head further, and following after the bird, who flew slowly to be sure the boy could keep up. _'I knew I shoulda just said "No" to her...' _

Kri watched her friend leave before turning slowly to look at her father. His gaze was resting on her. "Kri, you could've been killed!" Kovu said shortly.

Kri bowed her head quickly and acted as if she were inspecting her claws as she made small shapes in the dirt. "I know..." she said slowly. "...b-but dad, it's so boring at--"

Kovu shook his head and interrupted her. "Kri, you know better! Coming to the waterhole alone, and without me or your mother knowing?" the lion shook his head. "There's no excuses for your coming out here, Kri!"

The cub nodded her head, speaking softly, "I know." she tried to look at anything, find any excuse, not to look at her father's face as he spoke to her. Her head only lifted when she heard him sigh softly. "I'm sorry, dad..."

Her rather adorable expression at that moment, and the fact that this was a sincere apology brought a smile to Kovu's lips. "It's all right, Kri. I forgive you... but you're still staying in the cave today. ...it isn't much like a princess to get into trouble like this, and you need to learn. As a princess, you need to take care of yourself and learn to someday be queen!" _'Of course, that never seemed to stop Kiara...'_

Immediately, the cub's expression changed from adorable to... disappointed? "Awww, man..." Kri complained. "But... dad! That's no fun..."

Kovu chuckled, then slowly shook his head. "Maybe Situ will play with you in there." the lion suggested, hoping to cheer his daughter up a little more now. It seemed to work as she looked back at him with hopeful, sparkling eyes. "Now, let's go home." with that, Kovu turned away from his cub and started to pad towards Pride Rock.

Kri followed close behind. There wouldn't be any secret trips to the waterhole, or anywhere else, for that matter, for a long time...

* * *

About time this chapter ended, eh? XD Anyway. I hope to get more reviews before I continue... but if I don't, I'll go on anyway... I guess. 


	4. Chap 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _The Lion King. _Nope. Disney does. However, I do own some of the characters that will feature in this story, including: Tumba, Kri, Mandu, Situ, and others that you won't recognize from any of the films.

_Two Days Later..._

* * *

Tumba leapt from rock to rock as he attempted to catch a small, blue butterfly, that, each and every time he though he caught it, would flutter free again. Tumba wasn't alone, of course. Kovu and Kri were sitting, watching him. Kovu stretched lazily as rested under the shade of one of the many trees that grew around Pride Rock. Kri, meanwhile, was attempting to find something more interesting to do that didn't require leaving Kovu's sight, since he had been watching her more closely lately. 

"Dad, when'll mom be back?" Kri asked Kovu as she found a small black beetle that was resting on a white flower.

Kovu's eyes left his son and moved to Kri as he responded. "Soon, Kri. You know hunting takes a long time." The lion king released a yawn. One thing Kovu didn't really miss from before he became king was hunting. He could leave it up to the lionesses now!

The girl cub looked at her father as the beetle flew away from the wings it suddenly "sprouted" and sighed. "I wish I could go with her." said Kri.

A hard "thud!" sounded at that moment, and when both Kovu and the princess turned their heads, they were greeted with the sight of Tumba on his back, his paws clenched tightly together before him. "Hah! I gotchya!" exclaimed the boy excitedly. However, when he pulled his paws apart, the butterfly was less than a little ok. Its now-bent wings twitched as it fell from the boy's paws. "Ewww!" both twins said simultaneously.

"Gross, Tumba! Why'd you do that? The poor butterfly..." said Kri with a frown. Kovu just watched the two with a faint smile on his face.

"I didn't mean too!" Tumba defended himself.

"Yeah, you did!"

"I did not!"

"Did to!"

"Did _not_!"

"_Did_!"

"_Didn't_!"

The two siblings bickered back and forth until at last, Kri had had enough. "Did _to_!" she cried out as she leapt at her brother, easily pinning him to the ground.

"Did _not_!"

"Yes you did!" Kri growled softly, her ears pinning back.

Finally, Kovu had heard enough. "Kri! Tumba!" their father's deep voice caught their attention quickly. "Enough!"

Kri frowned and quickly climbed off of Tumba, but not before she stuck her toungue out at him.

"Kri!" Kovu scolded.

Kri flinched and glanced at her father while Tumba got to his paws and quickly shook his coat out. "Now I'm all dirty!" he whined.

"Stop whining, Tumba!" Kri muttered, glaring at her brother. She still wasn't happy about the butterfly.

Tumba opened his mouth to say more at about the same time a shadow passed over him, and circled. The prince glanced down and watched the shadow before looking up quickly. Kovu suddenly walked past him, and stopped a pace or so in front of his son and called out.

"Mandu! Do you bring news?"

Kri trotted up beside her brother and glanced up as she sat on her haunches, as did her brother. "Yeah, Mandu! Anything interesting?" inquired Kri. "Did mom get some good food?" asked Tumba.

The hornbill lowered onto a rock before the cubs and their father. His expression seemed slightly distressed. "Yes, sire!" answered the hornbill with a quick dip of his head. "The lionesses have had no luck, this time..." he said.

Kovu lifted a brow. "That's strange. Even with Kiara helping them they usually do quite well... has something happened?"

"Yes. Hyenas, sir!"

"Hyenas?!" all three leonines cried out at once. Kovu was alarmed, Tumba was fearful, and Kri--well, Kri was Kri. Excited and adventurous, she wanted to know more. She wanted to see these hyenas for herself!

Kovu nodded his head sharply. "I'll handle the hyenas," he said. "Mandu, take Tumba and Kri up to the cavern." that said, Kovu started to trot away.

"Wait!" Kri cried out and started to run after him. "Dad! Dad, I wanna come!"

Kovu quickly slowed and turned to stop his daughter as she ran. "No, Kri. Stay with Mandu and your brother. You have to watch over him, being older, you know?" with that, Kovu left Kri with a disappointed look on her face.

Kri sighed as she walked back to join her brother, her ears drooping. "He never lets us do anything fun." she said softly as she walked past her brother, who merely followed her with his eyes. As she walked past, he leapt up to his paws and followed after her quietly for a moment.

"That's not right Kri," said the boy cub, though he came up with nothing else. Kri just sighed. "Maybe we can find Situ!" said Tumba, knowing that his sister would likely cheer up at the idea.

And indeed, she did. Her eyes lit up as she looked at the Rock, and even more so as she climbed up, where she could surely find Situ. _'I just want her to be happy...' _Thought the prince. True, no matter how much they fought or were different, Tumba always admitted that he loved his sister dearly, and he'd do almost anything for her.

Tumba stopped at the base of Pride Rock as his sister climbed up to the top. She'd probably find Situ up there somewhere. No telling where, though. Mandu landed beside the boy and looked at him through calm amber eyes. Tumba just sighed. "Hyenas again, Mandu?"

The hornbill nodded.

"Are they the same ones that Dad's been goin' after lately?"

Again, Mandu nodded.

Tumba frowned. "I hope Dad's ok... Mom too." with that, the Prince of the Pridelands carefully climbed up the rock, slowing toward the top where he saw Situ and Kri. Kri's back was to him, and she was talking to Situ.

"Oh, hey Tumba!" Situ called quickly, offering the prince a warm smile.

Kri stopped mid-sentence as Situ called out, and she quickly looked over her shoulder at Tumba. She rolled her eyes softly. "Hey, butterfly-killer." she greeted flatly.

"Hey!" Tumba cried out. "I told you that was an _accident_!" he frowned. "I'm _sorry_, ok?!"

Situ sighed as he listened and watched the two. "Hey, Kri, he really didn't mean it. Why not forget about it?"

Kri looked at Situ, and after a moment, she just shrugged her shoulders. "Ok..."

That was the thing that Tumba liked about Situ. He always thought about everyone, unlike some of Kri's other friends. They didn't like Tumba much. ...But Situ was different. Situ was like a big brother to Tumba.

The three gathered together then to talk for a little while, and Mandu went off to find Situ's mother so she could help look after the children as they played. Situ's mother was the only lioness that generally stayed around. She acted sort of as a nanny to the cubs of the pride, and carefully watched each one. When Situ's mother finally came into view, Mandu headed off.

"Hey, mom, can we go to the river?" Situ asked as his mother arrived.

The lioness remained silent for a moment as she looked upon her son, and the hopeful faces of the royal cubs as well. She couldn't possibly resist them! "Very well, my son. Your friends will be accompanying you?"

"Oh yeah!" Situ responded, both from excitement, and as an answer to his mother's previous question.

"Come along." said Situ's mother, and she started to pad down the Rock. The three cubs eagerly followed her. However, no sooner had they reached the bottom, did a roar sound. Immediately, all their ears perked up, but none as much as Kri and Tumba, whose eyes lit up. "Mom's home!" Tumba cried out as he started to dash further down the rock, slowing when he saw the lionesses and his mother carrying a large gazelle.

Kri, however, only sighed after a moment as something else dawned upon her. _'I guess we won't be going to the river after all...' _She frowned and her ears drooped.

Tumba greeted his mom with a happy, soft "Rawr!" before heading toward the gazelle. Kiara didn't stop him. Nor did she stop Kri or Situ, when they did the same.

"Thank you for watching the kids." Kiara thanked Situ's mother. The lioness only smiled.

"It was, as always, a pleasure, your highness."

The queen smiled, then gently nuzzled her pride sister. "Ok. Now come on, let's get something to eat!" To this, Situ's mother happily agreed, and the two lionesses moved to join their children as well as the rest of the pride, who were already feeding.

Much in the time was eaten, and much was left over. It was a time of plenty in the Pridelands, and this meal would last another day or so before the pride needed to go hunting again. This was always good, as it gave the lionesses a break. Many of them were mothers, or had "more important" things to do aside from hunting. Namely, sleeping.

With their meal finished, the bloated lionesses headed up Pride Rock where they could sleep for the rest of the afternoon. Soon, only Kiara and the twins were left.

"Kri, Tumba, where is your father?" Kiara asked softly, concern etched on her face.

"Oh, Dad went to scare away the hyenas, Mom." answere Tumba with an small smile. Kri nodded her head quickly.

Kiara's brows furrowed. _'Those hyenas are still here?' _"Hmmm." Kiara stretched slightly.

The queen and her children remained where they were for quite some time, the lioness watching her cubs play until the sun reached far to the western horizon. Then, and only then, did Kiara sigh and call to her children.

"Kri, Tumba. It's time to go back inside."

"Aww! Mom, do we hafta?" asked Tumba with a frown. Kiara nodded. Both cubs moaned, but obeyed their mother nonetheless.

The children and their mother headed up Pride Rock, but once they reached the cavern, Kiara only urged her cubs in, and remained where she was, watching the vultures circle the kill made earlier. "Kovu, where are you?" Kiara asked softly to no one, gazing over the Pridelands as she walked up to the Rock's peak. "You should've been home by now..."

But there was nothing Kiara could do. She could only go with her cubs and wait for his return. So the queen retired to the cavern and laid down there to rest. Gathering up Tumba and Kri in her paws, she closed her eyes and let a restless sleep take her.

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I know, I know. These last few chapters have been pretty boring. -.- At least, I think they have been. Sigh. Oh well. The story's only just gotten started, and here soon it's really going to pick up a little more. And very much likely get more violent, as well. Well, not too violent, but violent, anyway. Thanks for reading this... please review some, though, too! I would really like one more review before I continue... 


	5. Chap 4

Thanks to my lovely reviewers! Mwah! I loveth yooooouuuuu... n.n This is another slow chapter, but eh... it's getting closer to the adventure of this story... :)

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Kiara was the first to awaken. It was dawn, the sun having not even peeked over the edge of the horizon yet. Not desiring to wake her children, who slept between her forelegs, she did not rise.Rather, she gazed out at the horizon.

Just as the queen moved her head to place it back down and rest a little while longer sinceshe hadn't slept well last night without Kovu, she heard a sound.

First her mind wandered to the thought of trouble, then to the hope that Kovu may be home. Licking each of her children gently, she moved carefully so as not to wake them, though unsuccessfully.

Kri stretched as she felt the warmth of her mother leave her side, then slowly opened her eyes. She was followed closely by Tumba, who yawned softly as he opened his eyes, alerting their mother to the fact that she'd managed to wake them. "Stay here, my little ones." the queen told them before silently padding towards the exit.

Inside the cavern, Kri's gaze followed her mother. _'Like I'm gonna listen.' _she thought with a light snort. Tumba's eyes had also followed their mother, but he didn't seem to have any interest in following her, unlike Kri.

Kri leapt to her paws and started weaving her way around and through leonine bodies.

"Wait, Kri! Where are you going?" called Tumba, maybe a little loudly. He flinched at the sound of his own voice, frowning.

Kri stopped mid-step and glanced over her shoulder at her little brother, her eyebrow lifted slightly at him. "Where do y'think?" she smirked, her voice softer.

"Following Mom? But Kri! Mom said to stay _here_!"

Kri merely rolled her eyes at her brother before padding away again. "Are you going to come or what?" she knew her brother would come eventually.

Not exactly desiring to be called "chicken",Tumba got up slowly and followed after his sister in a much slower and cautious fashion. Tumba was soon outside with Kri and his mother, following his sister's path carefully down the large rocks that lead off of Pride Rock.

Kiara had stopped at the base of Pride Rock, her eyes looking elsewhere.

When the cubs saw what their mother was looking at, they immediately stopped. Directly behind Kiara, the posture and expressions were nearly identical: eyes wide and maws wide open in massive grins, tails lashing with excitement.

"Dad's home!" the words tumbled from Kri's lips as she regained her composure slightly, her eyes sparkling merrily.

It was indeed Kovu. A light smile formed on his maw. He looked a little battered and bruised, but was otherwise supporting himself well. He let out a relieved sigh, _'It's good to be home,' _he thought as he padded toward his mate. Only when he was about a pawstep in front of Kiara did he stop.

"Kovu! What happened! Are you all right?" the queen wrapped a paw around her love before looking toward the children with a look that seemed to say they were going to be in trouble for not listening, but at the same time was too filled with (maybe a little much) worry for her mate to let her scold them yet... she had feared something worse might've happened to her love! "Tumba, Kri. Go back inside the cavern. _Now_." Kiara's voice was suprisingly rough as she spoke to her children. The queen then looked back at her mate, whom she quickly moved to support even as the two cubs padded a little disappointedly back toward the cavern.

Kovu chuckled at Kiara, "I can walk fine, you know." he told her with a smile.

Kiara smiled faintly. "I know, I just... I was so worried!"

Kovu smiled warmly, gently nuzzling Kiara before pulling back, his eyes becoming terribly serious now. "Hyenas," he sighed softly, shaking his head. "They had a message: their clan wants war with the Pridelands."

Kiara's eyes grew wide, fear grasping her heart as she thought of what this might mean. "W-war?" _'...this can't be' _"But! Why? Did they say?" the Queen forced herself to keep her composure.

Kovu nodded weakly. "I found three," he said, "just three. I tracked them down most of the day. But just as I reached the borders, they turned on me. They must've known I was following them." his voice raised slightly as he spoke, the disguist in his words apparent. "They must be exceptionally skilled hyenas, to have picked me out..." he frowned, worriedly. "Well, back when Scar was king and he made the alliance with the hyena clan," said Kovu worriedly, "Several pups were killed without apparent reason. This happened before Scar was overthrown." he sighed. "That's what they told me."

Kiara's eyes widened, fearful. "Did they say more?"

"No." Kovu answered, a weariness entering his eyes. War was the last thing he needed. ...the last thing anyone needed. "...I think they are out for revenge. On the Pride, and..." he couldn't go on.

Kiara gasped as she grasped his meaning, her eyes widening further. "N-no! Not the children! Surely not our little ones!"

Kovu nodded sadly. "We must be prepared for any advances. I didn't manage to kill the three hyenas that tresspassed, but... even these three make me think we up against a lot more than we were in Scar's time."

At that very moment, Situ's mother and a few lionesses appeared, likely disturbed by the commotion that Tumba and Kri had brought to the cavern with their father's return. This was obvious, for as the lioness padded a little crankily out of the cave, the twins came bounding after, giggling and murmuring to one another with joy. Their father was home, and there was nothing greater in that moment!

Kiara didn't want the children to hear this! "We must tell the pride, then. Maika," said Kiara, addressing Situ's mother, though never turning her gaze from Kovu, "Would you please take the children to play? I'll tell you what's happening later, I promise." The queen's gaze finally left Kovu so she could smile at the lioness she had addressed, Situ's mother.

To this, Maika simply nodded. "Yes, your highness, I shall right away."

"One of you, please go get Zaru." said Kiara.

Zaru was the shaman now. Before Rafiki's death, Zaru had been chosen as an apprentice. He, like Rafiki, was a mandrill, and a wise one, at that.

"I will." a lioness volunteered almost immediately before darting out of the cavern and out in the direction of the great baobab tree that served as Zaru's home.

"Come children," called Maika suddenly. Immediately her own children including Situ, as well as the prince and princess, came to her, and soon disappeared outside the cavern, leaving Kiara and a few other lionesses to stand silently and watch the king.

Calling together those still around or sleeping, the King and Queen of the Pridelands explained the ordeal to the Pride. ...things were going to get rough.

_Meanwhile, Outside..._

Outside, Tumba, Kri, and Situ quickly found one another, then separated from the main group of cubs so the three of them could speak together.

"What's going on?" asked Situ softly.

"Dad's back," answered Kri softly, her eyes shining.

"Well, yeah... I know _that_!" said Situ with a grin. "I mean, did he tell you guys anything interesting?"

Tumba responded to this, shaking his head. "No." he smiled very faintly. "...I don't think I wanna know, though."

Kri swiftly batted her brother's blond mane-tuft, giggling. "_Pffft_! Yeah right! You know you wanna!"

As the three cubs went on with theirplotting, er... _conversation_, Zaru silently walked past them, his wooden staff held carefully in one hand.

Kri and Tumba looked toward him first, followed by Situ. "Oh, hiya!" greeted Kri.

Zaru stopped briefly to smile. His eyes glowed lightly with a strange sense of knowing, wisdom, and power. ...could it possibly be that the shaman already knew what he was being called to Pride Rock for? "'ello, little ones!" the mandrill answered in response to the greeting before going on.

"Y'know," Kri started whispering to her brother and Situ, "...mom and dad don't normally ask the monkey to come unless it's really important..." she grinned.

Situ looked at her knowingly.

Tumba looked dismayed. "Kri, we'll be in bigger trouble if we don't stay here!"

Kri's eyes looked smoothly at Tumba. "_Scared_?"

Tumba shook his head quickly, a scowl on his face.

Kri just grinned as she glanced at Situ. "Then _c'mon_! Let's find out what's going on!"

So, the prince, princess, and the princess's closest friend found their moment to slip out of Maika's sight... thankfully, it came quite soon. After all, the poor babysitter was swamped with cubs! Making their way as quickly as a cub could upPride Rock, all three silently peered into the cavern.

Kiara and Kovu were taking the time to explain the situation. _'War? What's that?' _wondered Kri to herself. Her father kept mentioning it... it sounded fun! But, she didn't think hyenas were supposed to be fun. ...or were they?

_'Uh-oh... sounds like trouble...' _Tumba thought to himself. War? ...hadn't he heard that word somewhere before? Oh yeah! "Hey Kri, Situ," whispered the boy cub to his peers, "...Ummm, remember that story? The one about, uh, war?" he tilted his head slightly. "The one with Scar, and all the bad lions and hyenas? Mom and dad were talking about that war stuff. You think something bad will happen?"

_'Just like Tumba to worry about something so stupid...' _Kri rolled her eyes. "No!" she said, her voice a light screech. Tumba and Situ hissed, unconsciously taking a step back from the girl cub as the adults' heads all whipped around to look in their direction...

Kiara had just beenexplaining what had happened to her mate when she heard a familiar hiss... _'Kri!'_There was no way of telling how much the children had heard! Kiara was horrified, but only anger shone in her eyes. "Tumba, Kri, Situ!" she called each by name, indicating she was really upset. Hardly noon and they'd already been in trouble _twice_!

"Be on your guard," Kovu told all the lionesses before dismissing them, as well as the mandrill, with a nod. With that, he and Kiara both approached the children, their glares hard.

"We told you to stay with Situ's mother," Kiara said, looking between the three cubs sternly.

Kri lowered her head, as did the boy cubs. "We know..."

"Then why are you up here?" asked Kovu.

"We just wanted to know why the monkey was here, too! He _never _comes, unless it's big!" explained Kri in one breath. She took a deep one before going on, "War mom? What's that? What's going on?"

Kiara sighed, shaking her head. "Come on," she told all three of them. "Don't tell the other cubs though, you'll scare them."

So, the king and queen now proceeded to explain what war was, and what was happening, to the three cubs.

"Oooh..." murmured Kri.

"I told you Kri! It was something bad!"

Kri just rolled her eyes at her brother. She hated it when he was right...

"You and the other cubs will have to stay very close to Pride Rock now, until the hyena problem is settled." said Kiara gently, "...and someone will always be watching you."

_'Awww man...' _thought Kri. War was _really _bad if they couldn't go on adventures!It would make escaping very hard now...


	6. Chap 5

These first few chapters have been here more to introduce you to the troublesome pair of twins. But now things are skipping ahead to the day things would change...

And, while I'm at it, I have a certain person I'd like to thank for numerous reviews: **Kovu115, _Thanks for your reviews_!**

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So, war was upon the Pridelands again. There had been Scar with his hyenas, wrecking the Pridelands with their tyrant king. Then there had been the Pridelanders and the Outlanders. Now that they were as one, it was the hyenas that waged war on the Pride. Would they never be at peace?

Three months had passed since the war had started, and the day that Tumba, Kri, and Situ had found out what war was. The royal children were five months old now. They had grown an incredible amount, almost half the size of an adult lion. Kri was still larger than Tumba. However,Situ was larger than both of them.

Kri sighed. Her voice was noticably deeper than it had been three months ago, but still she was the same lioness. "Y'know, Tumba," she said to the lion at her side, whose blond mane was just beginning to extend down his neck and had started growing in on his chest, "I'm beginning to think we'll never have another adventure."

True, they hadn't managed to escape for a good three months. Perfectly boring. Tumba rolled his rusty eyes and smiled faintly. His voice hadn't changed quite yet; it still squeaked occasionally as he spoke. "Yeah, well I think it's a good thing. You can't get us killed!" he laughed gently, prodding his sister in the shoulder with a forepaw.

Kri rolled her eyes and grinned. "Well, you're still just as big a chicken today as you ever were!" she smiled. "We should find Situ," she said, a dreamy look in her eyes, "And have some fun!"

The prince shrugged as he looked down from Pride Rock quietly. "Fine..." he said softly. Situ made him look childish. Situ's mane of white had grown in suprisingly fast and extended down to his shoulders already, and his chest and underside were already blanketed in thick fur. Not to mention, his voice didn't squeak anymore!

Kri grinned. "Ok, wait here!" she darted off, her mahogany tail tuft flicking behind her as she ran into the cavern. The princess returned a moment later with the white lion at her side. He made her look like a midget.

"I hear you're both up for trouble!" called Situ, loud enough to carry to Tumba, but soft enough to keep from being heard by any adults that might be listening.

"Me? Eh, no." said Tumba, shaking his head. "It was Kri's idea." The boy got up and met the white lion and his sister halfway, where he settled onto his haunches again.

"We need to go soon, or else mom'll get home with the hunting party, and... well." Kri frowned as she spoke, "We don't want her or dad to catch us trying to get away _again_!"

"All right then, let's go!" said Situ as he led the way off of the Rock, his tail swishing excitedly behind him, much like the others'.

When Pride Rock was some way onto the horizon, the three stopped.

Kri sniffed, testing the air for scents like the older lionesses had taught her. "I smell... lion!" she said softly, "There's a patrol nearby!"

Kovu had been pretty worried about escaping cubs, rogues, and hyenas for the last three months, and patrols were sent out frequently.

"Over there!" said Tumba, indication a cluster of bushes. "We can hide until the patrol passes!"

In a hurry, the teenagers darted for the bushes, and quickly hid themselves. "I hope they won't smell us..." Kri whispered as she shifted her weight nervously. After that, they became completely still.

Thankfully, when the patrol of lionesses went by at last, they weren't seen or scented. With the patrol was none other than Kovu himself, leading.

The three young lions waited fearfully, daring not even to breathe as they watched the patrol go by. When they were certain they were safe, Situ let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "Thank goodness they're gone!" he said softly as he rose from the bush and shook his growing mane swiftly to remove it of any dirt and debris. The motion was followed by Tumba.

After waiting a moment more, Kri led the way again.

They were getting further and further from Pride Rock, and the sun was starting to sink in the sky. The rainy season had passed sometime ago, but the dry season could be harsher... The prey was still plentiful. Suddenly, a strange laughter-like sound rose from the savannah.

Kri froze. Situ and Tumba nearly knocked her over as she stopped. "Wha? What was that?" asked Tumba, fear making its way into his voice.

"Shhhh!" Kri silenced him harshly with a whack of her tail.

Situ stared, wide-eyed. "Hyenas?"

Kri's eyes hadn't left the disguisting creatures, which were squabbling rather noisely up ahead over an old kill. The young lioness nodded, not taking her eyes off of the creatures. The hyenas were the same size as the children. Well, all of them except for Situ, who was a little larger.

Nearby, Kri took notice of a herd of wildebeest. She seemed to be thinking of something.

"Kri?"

Her head turned sharply to look at Situ. "...I have an idea..." she grinned broadly, her eyes shimmering...

Tumba shifted uncomfortably in his hiding place amongst the grasses. They matched his sandy brown pelt rather nicely.

He didn't like Kri's plan one bit. She decided they could sneak away from the hyenas and spook the wildebeest herd... crazygirl! She wanted to see what would happen. Of course, the prince, just like his sibling and her, ahem, "boyfriend", knew very well what would happen. Hopefully. Maybe. The herd would start, spooking off the hyenas, and they could have a nice thrill as the herd scattered. Of course, Tumba was just scared. He wasn't looking forward to the thrill, but he couldn't back down now!

Kri was hiding on the opposite side of the herd. Situ was going to leap out to scare the herd; with his white pelt it would be easy.

The young lioness looked in her brother's general direction just as Situ leapt out, startling the herd. Several of the wildebeest jerked back. Then, in unison, the herd started running.

Kri grinned, and she soon joined her brother and the white lion in a thrilling chase...

"Hey, what's that noise?" asked a masculine voice.

"What noise?" inquired a second voice, higher pitched, but still male.

A third voice piped in, "Are you deaf, Jag?"

The second hyena, Jag, whipped his head around to glare at the female, "No, Raa! You're crazy!" he snickered, as if he had made some weird joke. He was greyish brown with black spots. Typical hyena.

Raa just rolled her eyes, sneering at her younger brother. "Whatever. Hakan, shut him up so I can listen!" The creamy-hued, black-spotted female, self-proclaimed leader of the three siblings, perked her ears.

Hakan, owner of the first voice blinked slowly and nodded. Then, without a thought, flung a paw around to smack Jag in the face. The hyena flew back with a loud thump, unconscious. Hakan just giggled like a girl. He was a dark brown color, with darker spots.

Raa glared before she lifted an ear started listening. Then her head turned. "Ahhhhk! Run! The herd!" was all she got out before she took off running. _'It should've been obvious! It's a stampede!'_

Raa was the oldest of the hyena siblings, and Hakan was the youngest, but by far the strongest and second smartest to Raa. Their parents were the children of Banzai and Shenzi, Scar's henchmen of old. They killed Scar though, so the three hyenas and their parents were considered as royalty to their clan...

Hakan looked at his brother, whom he had knocked out. Frowning, he quickly tried to wake him, regretting his actions. Had he known it was a herd stampeding, he wouldn't have knocked him out! "Wake up, you idiot!"

Jag stirred. By then, the herd was upon them.

Hakan didn't look back as he run. He was certain that Jag was right behind them. He had stirred, after all. Little did the hyena trio know that when they reached home, they would be only a duo...

The trio of lions trailed after the herd for sometime before slowing to watch. Situ yawned. "That was great..." he said with a grin he shared with the others.

"Yeah," agreed Kri readily, then Tumba, a little more reluctantly to admit this dangerous stuff was fun.

"But, y'know... I'm going to head back. I'll cover for you if you stay out here."

The twins nodded as they watched Situ go. Tumba made to follow.

"Hey! Where're you goin'? We've gotta see what the herd did." Kri grinned.

Too tired to argue, Tumba turned and followed his sister with a sigh.

It was pretty uneventful until they reached the place where they'd first seen the hyenas. There were none in sight. Well, all but one... Even Kri gasped in horror. "Oh my gosh!" she cried out, "We killed a hyena!"

_'We?'_ Thought Tumba, _'What's all this 'we'?'_

Indeed, what she stared at was the trampled body of Jag. His hind leg was twisted oddly, as was his neck and spine. He was battered, and his fur was scruffy and dirty. Of course, it had been before, but now... now it was because of his bloodied body.

When Tumba looked at the body, he squirmed uncomfortably. If not for his fur, he would've obviously been pale. "Kri... I feel sick." he whispered, lifting a paw to his mouth. He swiftly moved away to empty the contents of his stomach.

Kri didn't budge. Her fun had gone too far... she really didn't think hyenas were _that _stupid... but she was wrong.

"Tumba," she said as her brother returned, "Let's get out of here." for once, she looked rather tired to her brother.For once, she didn't seem so eager to be out here anymore. She felt like she had murdered this hyena, even if it was by accident...

As the lions were turning to go, a growl tore through the air.

"Murderer!" Raa hissed as she saw the children. She had run back after the stampede had gone; Hakan had thought Jag had come along, but...

Now, these two! They were standing over her brother! Lions! She hated them... she wasn't Princess of the Clan for no reason. She was going to get these two!

"Get them, Hakan!" she said suddenly, leaving no time for the frightened cubs to respond.

Hakan was behind them, snarling, growling. Foam had formed around his maw.

"Run Tumba!" Kri cried out as she saw the hyenas on either side of them, moving in on them rapidly.

Swiftly, the twins ran. They were being herded away from Pride Rock... but if they stopped, they would be killed! The sun had set on the horizon now, and the light was fading quickly as they ran.

When they reached the desert, the hyenas stopped. "Keep running!" Raa bellowed after them angrily, though she was panting heavily, just like Hakan. "But we'll get you! We'll come back!"

Raa turned swiftly. "If the desert doesn't kill them, _we _will..."

Hakan looked at his sister silently. Revenge. They would get revenge for their brother's death, even if it took a lifetime. Despite what others thought, the hyenas were loyal. At least to their family and clan. And the murder of another wasn't something to take lightly...

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Aaaand! End chapter five! Personally, I think this was a crappy chapter. Now, please review! ...and please, no flames. Ahem. Anyway, I'll get to finishing the next chapter ASAP! Oh and, did I forget to mention, please review. :D 


	7. Chap 6

**Just a reminder: **Since I forgot this in the last couple of chapters 'cause I'm an idiot... Characters from _The Lion King_ belong solely to Disney. I'm only using them for the sake of this fanfic. However, characters such as Tumba, Kri, Mandu, Maika, Situ, Jag, Raa, and so on are all mine. That's right. You can also find pictures of some of these characters on the link to my gallery on my profile. That is all. 

An' yeah. This chap's pretty... cruddy. At least I think so... when I get to the next chapter, it'll hopefully be better...

* * *

They ran on until they could run no more. They had run into the night, and across the desert, switching directions a few times, just in case they were being followed.

"K-Kri," Tumba panted as he called to her. "Please... let's stop... and rest a little... while."

At first, she didn't listen. Then at last, sheslowed, gasping for air. She heard the thump of Tumba's body hitting the sand as he collapsed, and she soon did the same.

Tumba was stocky and "big-boned", making it a little more difficult to keep up with his much more slender and lean sister.

Kri's head was spinning with all that had happened when she finally collapsed, sand flying up behind her as unconsciousness grabbed hold of her mind. _'How could this be...?'_ was the last thought before a strange sleep took her.

Tumba did much the same. He wasn't sure what his sister had gotten them into now, but they couldn't go back, and he couldn't abandon Kri.

Tumba was the first to shift fromhis uneasy sleep. The eastern horizon was painted a golden color, while the rest of the sky was still a shade of blue from the night. At first, Tumba thought their run through the desert had been a nightmare. He took in a deep breath, however, and realized he was wrong. The desert! "I-it wasn't a dream!" he said aloud, fear grasping his words tightly. _'Where's Kri!' _with a start, Tumba realized his twin was not with him.

"Kri? Kri! Where are you?" did she leave him? Was he alone in the desert?

Kri had risen some hours earlier, nightmarish dreams of the hyena's death haunting her in an uneasy sleep. So, she had decided to scout out their surroundings. She tried not to go too far; for once, she was afraid of getting lost. Or rather, losing her brother.

As she padded over one sandy dune, she glimpsed a distant bit of green. What was that? _'A jungle? ...near the desert...?' _bewildered, the lioness stared, and started to move toward it, a light glint in her eyes before, suddenly, she realized it wasn't there at all. She was seeing things. ...there was no life-saving oasis or jungle.

She should wake Tumba, Kri realized. They should probably move while the desert was still cold.

Just as she turned to go to her brother, she heard him calling.

Kri smiled faintly to herself before trotting over the dune. Her paws still ached from their run, but she was glad that her brother was there. Just seeing his rusty eyes made her feel better.

"Yes, Tumba?"

Tumba jerked lightly in suprise when he finally did see Kri. "Oh! Kri, I was so scared you'd left me here!"

"What!" Kri asked, startled. "I'd never do that. Well, most of the time, anyway." she grinned.

Tumba was glad to see her being herself, but at the same time wished she wouldn't be so... adventurous.

"Tumba, we should probably start moving, before the sun rises. Y'know it'll get really hot out here later..." she sighed, "And let's face it. We're hopelessly lost. I don't know what direction we came from!"

As Tumba heard her words, he panicked. "No! We can't be lost! Mom! Dad! We've got to go back home, Kri!"

Kri just bowed her head slightly, then shrugged. "Then where do you suggest we start?"

Tumba instantly became silent. "Well, I... uh. I dunno..." he frowned. Finally, he huffed lightly and gave in, "Fine, lead the way..." Then a thought struck him. _'What if we die out here!'_ "Kri, we're gonna die out here!" he said suddenly, eyes wide with fear.

Kri seemed to tense, her eyes narrowing. "We are _not _gonna die! We're gonna find an oasis or go home to mom an' dad, _and _we're gonna go on living! Then we'll go home when we're rested up." _'I hope. Argh! What am I thinking! We'll be fine!'_

Tumba shivered, but he nodded nonetheless.

Kri saw her brother's fear and silently walked up to him. She gently nuzzled her brother, then affectionately licked his ear. "Don't worry Tumba. I'll get us through," her aqua eyes twinkled, "I always do."

Her words were mostly true, Tumba realized before a small smile formed.

"Now, c'mon!"

And with that, the twins padded over the sandy dune and out across the desert...

_Back at Pride Rock..._

What had taken them so long, Situ would never know. What he did know, was that his best friend and her brother hadn't returned after the stampede. Nothing should have stopped them, even with Kri on her crazy adventures. Why hadn't they returned?

After returning the previous night, Kovu and Kiara had noted their childrens' absence and sent out a search party... and they still hadn't returned.

Situ sat silently on Pride Rock's pinnacle, his eyes sweeping the savannah before him sadly. He hadn't given away his part in their adventure. He probably wouldn't have to.

Hearing a sound behind him, the white lion turned to meet Kovu's green eyes. Situ tensed and bowed his head. "Your majesty."

"You don't normally use formalities, Situ. Is something wrong?" Kovu asked, an almost knowing look in his green eyes. The king walked over to Situ and seated himself beside the young lion. Even Situ seemed dwarfed next to Kovu, King of the Pridelands. "You know something, don't you? About Tumba and Kri."

Situ quickly averted his gaze, his head bowed now in shame. Should he tell Kovu? His fur prickled under the king's prodding gaze, and finally, the young lion forced himself to be calm and sit up straight. He probably wasn't going to make his stay in this pride much longer if he just sat there like that.

"I think I might." he said finally, refusing to meet Kovu's gaze.

He practically felt the king stiffen beside him.

"Tell me what you know."

Situ nodded. The white lion proceeded to carefully explain the events of the little adventure, up until his time of departure.

"I-I came home after that!"

Kovu was practically glaring at the boy now. Kovu would've been harsher, were it not for his worry for his own children gnawing and biting at his mind like a tick. "You're certain you don't know anything else?"

Situ nodded again.

Kovu sighed, "Thank you for telling me, Situ. I want you to come with me and repeat this information to Kiara."

Queen Kiara was pacing back and forth in the cavern as she waited for the patrol to return. She was desperate to hear anything about her missing children, anything at all. Though she had tried to be optimistic, she kept on hearing a dark voice in her mind telling her that it was too late for them. Her children were dead. The hyenas had their revenge. ...would the war stop then?

The golden lioness started when she heard the sound of approaching pawsteps. Hoping it was the returning search party, she quickly moved to greet... oh. It was just Kovu and Situ.

Disappointed, Kiara bowed her head and started to turn away even as Kovu spoke.

"Situ has something important to tell you."

Kiara looked up, her eyes turning from Kovu, who was prodding Situ to speak, then moving to the young boy. "Yes?"

Situ shifted uneasily under the queen's gaze. "Well, Tumba and Kri... we all decided to have some 'fun.'" Explained Situ, "And then, we saw some hyenas. Three of them. There was a herd of wildebeest, and Kri suggested we could scare off the hyenas by scaring the herd. So we..." he gently shrugged his shoulder, "...we did. After that, I came home. I thought they'd be right back. Kri just wanted to see what damage had been caused, and Tumba went with her. I-I thought they'd be right back!"

Kiara's expression had turned into one of pure terror as she pictured what could've happened, and the thought of hyenas in the Pridelands -- hyenas they hadn't even known were there. Could the pride really be so weak so as not to sense the danger?

Having seen her expression, Situ had started to panick. He would've broken down completely, were it not for Kovu, who gave him a careful nudge before telling him to go back to Maika.

The King and Queen looked at each other silently. "Do you think?" started Kiara, "Do you think the hyenas...?"

Kovu bowed his head lightly. "I hope not. We need to think that they're out there somewhere. We'll find them, Kiara!" he sighed, "We'll find them..." Unfortunately, he was much less hopeful than he sounded, and he didn't sound very hopeful.

It wasn't until later that afternoon that the patrol finally returned to the Pride. The lionesses in it looked worn and unusually weary.

The first to greet them was Kovu with his mate right at his side.

A greyish lioness silently looked up at the king, her blue grey eyes sad as she slowly shook her head. "We've found nothing, m'lord. _Nothing_. No evidence they are alive. ...but no evidence that they are dead, either."

Kovu bowed his head.

The lioness continued, "We did, however, find the body of the hyena. The stench of hyenas and the children were all over there. There was a lot of blood. We tracked it all the way to the desert, but we didn't go any further."

Kiara's eyes went wide. "But, if they did go in the desert..." she looked ready to break, "...what I mean is, if they went into the desert, what are the chances of them returning?"

The lioness leading the patrol merely bowed her head in sorrow.

Kiara broke. Tears started falling down her face and she stumbled. The grief was like a painful blow. Kovu was no better. He fought hard to keep his emotions at bay as he pulled his mate closer and held her in a gentle embrace. "...no." she whispered, "We can't let them die in the desert!"

Kovu sighed, swallowing his emotions down with the lump in his throat. "Hasana," he addressed the greyish brown lioness, "Tomorrow... we will try again. I will accompany you. Show me the path you and the patrol took. I'll tell Zaru to prepare some travelling herbs; we're going to go into the desert."

"In the midday, m'lord?" said Hasana, shocked.

"No." he looked like he was irritated with her. "That would be foolish. When the sun starts setting."

Kiara hadn't managed to regain her composure, so as Kovu turned to go back up Pride Rock, he gently supported her, nuzzling her comfortingly, though knowing that she, much like himself, would not be comforted by these motions...

_Travelling Across the Desert..._

Kri panted heavily as the sun shone down almost painfully upon her back. Since they had started moving in a pretty much random direction, they hadn't seen one spot of shade, water, or plantlife. In fact, neither she or Tumba had seen one spot of anything except for golden sand and blue sky stretching on endlessly.

It looked just as endless as it did hopeless.

"Kri," Tumba started suddenly, his voice cracking from his parched throat, "I don't think I can go on without water!"

"Stop complaining, Tumba," said Kri as she glanced over her shoulder at the stocky lion. In truth, she felt much the same. "We have to keep going. Maybe we'll find some shade somewhere..." she whispered softly.

But they didn't find the water. The sun was high in the sky when Tumba stumbled. He was too weak to rise. Instead, he closed his eyes and panted...

Kri glanced back when she heard him lose his footing. She knew he wouldn't get up without rest. "Yeah. G-good idea, Tumba..." she whispered, a wave of dizziness causing her to waver as she turned to go back to her brother. After standing over him a moment, she literally fell into a laying posture, then closed her eyes...

Oh, the poor cubs. That was, after all, what they really were. Oversized children. And it seemed as if time had run out for the both of them...

But it hadn't. In fact, it was as if it were beginning anew.

His pelt was chocolate and bright rust, his eyes were lovely green. And he was, contrary to what you may think now, a young lion. He couldn't be too much older than either of the cubs. In fact, his mane hadn't even sprouted, except for a small tuft of chocolate-colored mane on his head. That was it though.

Trailing behind the strange chocolate lion was another. He was sandy gold with spots. He wasn't a lion, but rather, a leopard. He was about the same size as the lion, and clearly an adult. It was strange that he followed the lion as though he were a friend, not stalking him.

Kamisu, the lion, smiled lightly to himself. "Hey, I think there are some strays out here!" he called over his shoulder to the leopard.

"Really?" the leopard padded up to Kamisu, who had stopped by now. "Wait... I smell them, Kami."

"If I'm not mistaken, they smell like lions, from across the desert..." said Kamisu smartly, his tail flicking with excitement. "I'll bet they'll need help. I know the desert like the back of my paw!"

"Don't get cocky, kid. I saved your butt when you were out here and I brought you to the jungle." the leopard chuckled.

"Whatever you say, Qiswa."

Qiswa shook his head as he watched Kamisu pad over a dune in silence. Right where he was, the leopard sat on his haunches. He would wait patiently for his young charge to return with the lost ones, if they came, then they'd go back to the jungle. After the lost ones were better, they'd let them wander the jungle on their own, like they always did for those who needed help. They had made it their "job" after Kamisu had been found. Qiswa had been born in the jungle, and had taken pity on Kamisu when he found the lost cub. It was unusual for a leopard to help a lion cub rather than kill it, but... Qiswa always had been different.

Moving over the dune, Kamisu stopped when he saw two leonines. They were both a little younger than himself; at eight months, Kamisu would be about two months older than the twins.

Kamisu frowned. They were collapsed in the sand. But they couldn't be dead! Kamisu flicked his tail and glanced back at Qiswa, nodding his head to let the leopard know that he had found something, and that he needed Qiswa's help.

Qiswa watched as Kamisu disappeared over the dune, then sighed almost sadly as he got to his paws and began to half-trot half-run in Kamisu's direction.

Kamisu was looking down silently at a pair of leonines, one a male and the other female when Qiswa came up over the dune, then down by the chocolate and rust lion's side.

"Well, what have we here?"

Kamisu looked at the leopard quietly, a peculiar sparkle in his lime green eyes before he looked back down at the young prince and princess. "Two lions...?"

Qiswa blinked. "Well, I already knew that! Come on, let's wake them up." With that, the leopard carefully nudged Kri in the shoulder with a forepaw, while Kam proceeded to do the same to Tumba.

After some minutes of poking and prodding, Tumba slowly came about. Groggily, he opened his eyes... only to panic when they came into focus and found the face of the chocolate-colored lion directly above him. "Aaaaaiiiiiieeeeee!" In a flash, Tumba was on his paws, only to sway as he became dizzy from rising much too quickly. "K-Kri! Kri! Get _up _Kri!"

Kri soon opened her eyes to find herself looking into the eyes of a leopard. The young lioness started, jerking up just as quickly as Tumba. "Hey! What's going on here! Who are you two?" questions flowed from the princess's mouth almost the moment she was on her paws. She stumbled a little, but was fine otherwise.

"Woah, woah, _woah_! Slow down, you two!" said Qiswa gently, an amused twinkle in his eyes. "We're here to _help _you, not _hurt _you."

"H-how do we know that?" Tumba countered defensively.

Kri, however, was more accepting and gave her brother a brief look to silence him. "I believe you. Sorry, my brother's a little... jumpy." she snickered softly as she shook her head. "My name's Kri, and my brother is Tumba."

Kamisu grinned lightly. "Well, nice to meet you the both of you. I'm Kamisu, but you can call me Kam or Kami for short. The leopard is Qiswa. ...don't worry, he's a friend." he laughed softly as he looked over at his guardian.

Qiswa just smiled, slowly shaking his head at the three leonines. "Since you're this far into the desert, I'm assuming the two of you are lost?"

Reluctantly, Kri nodded her head. "Yeah," she murmured, "We came from the Pridelands..."

Tumba nodded as Kri spoke, "Yes. ...we were afraid we were being chased. We didn't mean to get lost out here!" He glanced at Kri, his rusty eyes wide, "Kri... we're gonna die..."

Kri snorted. "Don't be silly, Tumba!"

"Listen to your sister," said Qiswa, smiling.

"Yeah. As long as me and Qiswa are around, you're perfectly all right! If you want to come with us, we can take you to the jungle. There's plenty of food to go around... and water." Kamisu smiled as he saw the twins' eyes go wide.

"Water sounds nice..." Kri said, a grin slowly spreading onto her maw.

"Thought so." Kam grinned broadly. "Just follow us!" With that, Kamisu turned around and started off at a brisk trot.

Qiswa, however, was a little more considerate and merely walked, a deep chuckle escaping him. "That boy's a bit too enthusiastic for his own good sometimes. But don't worry," he said as he glimpsed an almost frightened expression on Tumba's face, "He only does it when he meets someone new."


End file.
